Bloody Palm Murders

Tammy Cooper murder site. The first victim in the "Bloody Palm Murders" of 1965

The a series of murders were committed between the years of evening of 1961 and 1965 in Maundbury.

1961 - The first victim was Theodor Elroy, a mechanic at the Formont Gas and Garage. His body was found in the alley next to the garage. Elroy had been beaten to death with a large hammer. His eye was removed with the hammer’s claw end and several teeth were later found to be missing. His palms were also severely lacerated. This became the tell tale signs of what would later go on to be known as the BLOODY PALM MURDERS. His daughter was found in the back of the garage and was unharmed.

1963 – The second Bloody Palm Murders victim was found within several blocks of the Elroy murder. Mark Wicks (27) was found with his head crushed in with a brick.The coroner confirmed that both Elroy and Wicks suffered the same injuries and almost ritualistic removal of teeth and severing of palms.

1964 – The third victim was found within three blocks of Floyd’s Coffee House – the former location of the Formont Gas and Garage. He, too, had been beaten with teeth taken and palms cut to the bone several times. The case took an interesting turn when the body was identified as Carl Formont, the son of the late Edward Formont – owner of the Formont Gas and Garage.

Chief William Eli Lloyd confirmed that there was no hard evidence that pointed to any one person, but committed to finding the answer to the murders.

Aubrey Desum - 1963

1964 – Maundbury resident Aubrey Desum was attacked on New Years Eve, but the attack was halted when a large crowd entered the area.A large man was seen running from Desum who was severely battered by a blunt object. Her teeth and hands were intact, so investigators thought that the attacker was either a copycat or that he had not gotten around to the other portions of the attack when the crowd arrived.

Desum underwent several major surgeries during 1966 and never fully recovered mentally or physically from the attack. Her and her daughter, Wendy Desum, left Maundbury in 1966 under mysterious circumstances.

1965 – The worst string of deaths related to the Bloody Palm Murders were conducted between January 13th, 1965 and January 18th, 1965. The bodies of Tammy Cooper, Jessica Moorse, Robert Taylor, Paul Taylor, Rupert Johnson, Netty Lampersetta, Larry Hooper, June Mary Rail, John Tate and Jack Tanner were found in various locations around Floyd’s Coffee House in downtown Maundbury. All were found with their heads pummeled by a blunt object, with several teeth missing, damage to one or both of their eyes and their palms severely cut.

The first victim - Tammy Cooper - was found strung up in a tree and bound with heavy guage wire.

The last victim – Jack Tanner – was still alive when he was found, but passed away hours later due to massive brain trauma and internal bleeding.

The assailant was never found.

Wendy Desum was present in the area when the first three victims were found. She was also present in the area when her mother was attacked. No direct connection was ever made between her and the murders.